England, 1546. A young Princess Elizabeth is surrounded by uncertainty. She is not currently in line for the throne, but remains a threat to her older sister and brother. In the midst of this fevered atmosphere comes an unprecedented invitation from the Sultan in Constantinople. He seeks to assemble the finest chess players from the whole civilised world and pit them against each other. Roger Ascham, Elizabeth's teacher and mentor in the art of power and politics, is determined to keep her out of harm's way and resolves to take Elizabeth with him when he travels to the glittering Ottoman capital for the tournament. But once there, the two find more danger than they left behind. There's a killer on the loose and a Catholic cardinal has already been found mutilated. Ascham is asked by the Sultan to investigate the crime. But as he and Elizabeth delve deeper, they find dark secrets, horrible crimes and unheard-of depravity. Things that mark the young princess for life and define the queen she will become.

Author Biography

Matthew Reilly is an internationally bestselling author. His novels include Contest, Temple, Ice Station, Area 7, Scarecrow, Hover Car Racer, Seven Ancient Wonders, The Six Sacred Stones, The Five Greatest Warriors, Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves and his latest Sunday Times bestseller The Tournament. Matthew's books are published in over twenty languages and have sold nearly four million copies worldwide. In addition, Walt Disney Pictures have optioned the movie rights to his children's book, Hover Car Racer, while Ice Station was optioned by Paramount Pictures. Matthew lives in New South Wales, Australia. To find out more visit www.matthewreilly.com